Timepiece with rotatable bezels



1970 E. SCHNEIDER 3,520,?29

TIMEPIECE WITH ROTATABLE BEZELS FiledzMarch 11, 1969 FIG. 2

United States Patent 3,520,129 TIMEPIECE WITH ROTATABLE BEZELS Ernest Schneider, Evilard, Switzerland, assignor to Sicura Watch Co. Ltd., Grenchen, Switzerland, 21 company Filed Mar. 11, 1969, Ser. No. 806,232 Int. Cl. G04b 39/00 U.S. Cl. 58-91 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A time piece has a rotatable bezel in a ring for locking the bezel in a given regular position.

The present invention has for its object a time piece, such as a watch, having a rotatable bezel and a ring for locking the bezel in a given angular position.

The general idea of locking the bezel with a device, especially a ring, has been known for a long time. Various solutions have been suggested for attaining this goal. Some of these call for a device located on the edge of the time piece.

Thought has been given for example to simple screws, or to a plastic wire servicing simultaneously as a sliding surface between the ring and the middle and allowing by varying its tensioning to obtain a locking.

Thought has also been given to locking the ring by means of a threaded and knurled button similar to a winding button acting on a heel locking the bezel.

The time pieces object of the present invention are much simpler than those embodying the above-mentioned solutions.

The invention is characterized by the fact that the said ring has a projecting part located in such a way that upon turning the ring the projecting part locks the bezel.

The accompanying drawing represents by way of an example one embodiment of the object of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows in cross-section a watch having a rotating bezel 1 which can be rotated on middle 2 by means of its peripheral knurling 3. After turning this bezel to the desired position it is then possible to lock it there in order to avoid any inopportune movement. This locking is obtained by turning ring 4 which, in its normal position is not in contact with bezel 1. In the embodiment described the visible part of this ring 4 has the general shape of a cylinder, cut externally by a plane perpendicular to its axis but internally by a plane which is oblique relative to this same axis. The ring has a projecting part constituted by a tongue 5 which in the position shown on FIG. 1 is not in contact with the middle nor with the bezel. When ring 4 turns on its axis, tongue 5 moves until it touches bezel 1, the contacting force between tongue 5 and bezel 1 being adjustable at will according to the intensity of ice the strength exerted by turning ring 4. It is thus bezel 1 may be locked in any desired angular position.

It is evident that any other type of projection made inside ring 4 can fulfil the same purpose.

In FIG. 2, the construction is slightly dilferent. The ring 42 has a cylindrical shape, the axis of this cylinder being parallel but distinct from the rotational axis of the ring. As a result, upon turning ring 42, eccentric part 52 touches the edge of bezel 1 at its lower part thus causing its locking.

The position of locking the ring on the periphery of the middle is indifferent; in reference to the hour circle in the dial of the watch it can be placed between seven and eleven oclock or between one and five oclock.

A particularly interesting construction is shown in FIG. 3.- It consists of mounting the locking ring coaxially with the button for winding and setting. In FIG. 3, the modification is similar to that described in FIG. 2, but with locking ring 43 presented with a projecting an eccentric part 53 which turns coaxially with the winding and setting button 6.

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece comprising a bezel rotatably mounted on said timepiece, and a ring for locking said bezel in a given angular position, said ring being rotatably mounted on said timepiece in an axially fixed position and having a projecting part, said part being positioned in such a way that by turning the ring the projecting part rotates from a free position to a position wherein it contacts said bezel for locking the same.

2. Time piece according to claim 1, wherein said projecting part consists of an eccentric portion of said ring, the portion being cylindrical but having a rotating axis parallel and distinct from the axis of the cylinder.

3. Time piece according to claim 1, wherein said ring is positioned coaxially with the winding and setting button.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,134,093 10/1938 Ames 58-91 X 2,909,893 10/ 1959 Fiechter 58-127 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,088,897 9/1954 France.

314,050 1/195 6 Switzerland. 375,663 11/1963 Switzerland.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner G. H. MILLER, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 58-15'2 

